The Crew of the Water Wagtail | Page 8

you to know about all that Master Paul, if this is all the
Scripture you've had?" asked Trench.
"My mother was deeply learned in the Scriptures," answered Paul, "and
she taught me diligently from my boyhood. The way she came to be so
learned is curious. I will tell you how it came about, while we are doing
justice to Oliver's cookery."
"You must know, Master Trench," continued Paul, after the first
demands of appetite had been appeased, "that my dear mother was a
true Christian from her youth. Her father was converted to Christ by
one of that noble band of missionaries who were trained by the great

Wycliffe, and whom he sent throughout England to preach the Gospel
to the poor, carrying in their hands manuscript portions of that Gospel,
translated by Wycliffe into plain English. You see, that curious
invention of the German, John Gutenberg--I mean printing by movable
types--was not known at that time, and even now, although half a
century has passed since the Bible was printed abroad in Latin, no one
with means and the power to do it has yet arisen to print an English
Bible, but the day is not far distant when that work shall be done, I
venture to prophesy, though I make no pretence to be among the
prophets!
"Well, as I was going to say, the missionary was a hoary old man when
he preached the sermon that turned my grandfather from darkness to
light. My grandfather was just fifteen years old at that time. Ten years
later the same missionary came to grandfather's house, worn out with
years and labours, and died there, leaving all his treasure to his host.
That treasure was a small portion of the New Testament in English,
copied from Wycliffe's own translation. You may be sure that my
grandfather valued the legacy very highly. When he died he left it to
my mother. About that time my mother married and went to live on the
banks of the Severn. Not far from our farm there dwelt a family of the
name of Hutchins. The father had changed his name and taken refuge
there during the recent civil wars. This family possessed a Latin Bible,
and the head of it was well acquainted with its contents. It was through
him that my mother became well acquainted with the Old as well as the
New Testament, and thus it was that I also came in course of time to
know about Methuselah, and a good many more characters about whom
I may perhaps tell you one of these days."
"So, then, this is the manuscript the old missionary carried about, is it?"
said Trench, fingering the fragment tenderly.
"Ay, and a good translation it is, I have been told by one whom most
people would think too young to be a judge. You must know that this
Mr Hutchins has a son named William, who is considerably younger
than I am, but he is such a clever, precocious fellow, that before he left
home for college I used to find him a most interesting companion.

Indeed, I owe to him much of what little I have learned, for he is a
wonderful linguist, being able to read Hebrew and Greek about as
easily as Latin or English. He is at Oxford now--at least he was there
when I last heard of him. Moreover, it was through the Hutchins' family,
in a roundabout way, that your mother, Olly, came to learn to write
such letters as you have got so carefully stowed away there in your
breast-pocket."
"Good luck to the Hutchins' family then, say I," returned Olly, "for I'm
glad to be able to read, though, on account of the scarcity and dearness
of manuscripts, I don't have the chance of makin' much use of my
knowledge. But you puzzle me, Paul. It was poor Lucy Wentworth who
used to live with us, and who died only last year, that taught me to read,
and I never heard her mention the name of Hutchins. Did you, father?"
"No, I never did, Olly. She said she had lived with a family named
Tyndale before she came to us, poor thing! She was an amazin' clever
girl to teach, and made your mother good at it in a wonderful short time.
She tried me too, but it was of no use, I was too tough an' old!"
"Just so, Master Trench," rejoined Paul. "Hutchins' real name was
Tyndale, and he had resumed the name before Lucy Wentworth went to
live with the family. So, you see, Olly, you are indebted, in a
roundabout way, as I said, to the Tyndales for your mother's letter.
William will make his mark pretty deeply on the generation, I think, if
God